Sabertooth
by Eagleblade
Summary: What if, ten years ago, a red-haired girl sought admittance into Sabertooth instead of Fairy Tail? What if a teenage girl named Yukino Aguria ran away from home, abandoning her riches, her domineering father, and her suitor, to be accepted into Sabertooth? What if Yukino took the place of Lucy, Sting took the place of Natsu, and Rogue took the place of Gray? What would happen then?
1. Prologue

A little girl with short red hair approached the imposing Sabertooth guild building, a patch over her right eye and her clothes little more than rags. She walked in, fearless, and requested admittance into the guild.

"Ha, ha!" laughed a boy with spiky yellow hair. "Sabertooth only admits _strong _people, like me!"

The girl turned her one-eyed stare upon him. "If you got accepted, then I have no doubt I will too," she said coolly.

The boy flushed indignantly. "Hey!" His Exceed, Lector, repeated his master's phrase, "Hey!"

"Quiet, Sting," rumbled Jiemma, making his entrance. He looked at the girl. "What is your name?"

"Erza. Erza Scarlet."

"Prove to me your worth - defeat a guild member. If, and only if, you defeat that guild member will I consider your request."

Erza nodded in understanding. Sting jumped at the opportunity. "Me! I want to fight her!"

"Let's take this outside," Erza suggested. "Because I have a feeling this is going to get messy."

Sting cocked an eyebrow, but he followed her outside nevertheless. He could hear Jiemma's heavy footsteps behind him.

He faced Erza on the field, and he decided to make the first move. "White dragon's roar!" A thin, laser-like beam shot out of his mouth and made its way towards Erza - Sting smiled at his apparent victory.

And then he saw the beam reflected against a surface and deflected back towards him. He jumped in the air to avoid it, only to be met by Erza with a blade in her hands. She smashed the hilt into his forehead, and he crashed into the ground, unconscious and sporting a bruise.

Jiemma studied Erza - small, but she had potential. "Your request is accepted."

And he walked back into the guild without a second glance.


	2. The Sabertooth!

Sting gasped as he leaned over the side of the small rowing boat, overwhelmed by feelings of nausea. The rower glanced at his stricken face, and then asked the small brown cat by his side if this happened often.

"Oh yes," Lector answered. "Sting-kun does this all the time! He gets better after he gets off."

The rower shrugged and continued doing what he was paid to do - row. They reached the dock in about ten minutes, and Lector heaved Sting onto dry land. However, he only managed to drag the upper half of his body onto the dock, and Sting promptly dropped into the water.

"Sting-kun!" Lector yelled. The boat was too far away, and he couldn't swim - besides, Lector _hated _water. A few tense moments later, Sting's gasping head broke the surface and Lector let out a huge sigh of relief. "I thought you were dead!"

Sting grumbled under his breath as he heaved his dripping body onto dry land. He shook himself off, spraying Lector on accident, but still emerged sopping wet.

"Why are we even here again?" he grouched.

Lector was inspecting his arm for water, but replied promptly, "You heard Salamander of Fairy Tail was here, and you wanted to fight him."

"Oh, yeah," Sting remembered, his face brightening. He smashed his fist against his open palm. "I'm going to beat him into a pulp!"

"I'm sure you will, Sting-kun!" Lector cheered. "And maybe you'll beat Erza-san someday, too!"

Sting shrugged his pack back on. "Might as well get her that strawberry cake I owed her while I'm finding Salamander," Sting said resignedly. He was a man of honor, whatever else he was - which was handsome, strong, and practically everything in between. Or at least he thought.

He started walking with Lector by his side, and he noticed a large crowd of females clustered around an individual. He strained his neck to catch a glimpse, but all he saw was a flash of black hair before the person was hidden from his sight again.

"Salamander!" he heard the girls squeal in unison. He frowned, thinking it was supposed to be himself with such a large fan club, until Lector tugged on the hem of his pants.

"Sting-kun," he began, "isn't Salamander the mage you wanted to fight?"

* * *

Yukino looked around the small magic shop. She was looking for another Celestial key to add to collection - which only consisted of three gold keys that her deceased mother left her.

Tears filled her eyes as she thought of her late mother. Lady Yushino was known to be a great beauty and the ideal wife, but she was so much more to Yukino. And when she died, she had left her only Celestial spirit keys to Yukino - the one known to open Ophiuchus among them. The key wasn't famous, but it was the most powerful Celestial spirit out there, not including the king. The others were Libra and Pisces, both awfully rare and both awfully powerful.

Along with those precious keys, there had been a letter expressing her mother's wish for her to join a guild - preferably Sabertooth. And Yukino has tried to honor her mother's wish - she just didn't start in the way she had hoped.

She shook her head and wiped her tears away, and then glanced at the old man trying to sell her something that would turn her different colors. "Excuse me, sir," Yukino said. "Do you have an Celestial Spirit keys in stock?"

The shopkeeper stopped his play, his clothes now a bright purple. "Hmm, we just got a new shipment a few days ago," he muttered, disappearing into the back room. Yukino waited patiently until he reappeared holding two oblong boxes.

"Only silver keys, I'm afraid. I've got Nikora and Lyra."

Yukino's face had fallen when he said he only had silver keys, but brightened when he said he had Nikora and Lyra. They were known for being good friends, and heaven knows she could use some friends right now.

"I'll take them," she said hastily. "How much?"

The shopkeeper read the tags on each box. "20,000 jewels for Nikora and 30,000 for Lyra, so I suppose that means 50,000."

Yukino grimaced. "Oh dear - that's certainly going to make a big difference in my savings." She sighed happily. "But money is a small price to pay for friends."

The old man smiled. "But, since you seem so sweet, I'll knock off ten thousand jewels - forty thousand jewels, my dear."

Yukino gasped. "Oh no, I couldn't do that!"

"I insist!"

"Two thousand jewels," Yukino bargained.

"Seven thousand," the old man retorted.

"Three thousand!"

"Five thousand!"

"Deal!" Yukino cried. She blushed at her recent unladylike behavior, her cheeks still flushed from the shouting, and she tried to compose herself. "Thank you sir."

"You're most welcome," the shopkeeper replied sincerely, taking the 45,000 jewels she owed him. Yukino waved goodbye as she exited the small door, feeling a bit guilty. She didn't deserve the 5000 jewel discount because, when she had said it would make a big difference in her savings, she meant the money she brought with her.

Yukino had run away from home, which wasn't very comfortable after her mother passed away. Her father had changed drastically, and he had already arranged for her to be married to a pompous suitor. They were still rich, though, and Yukino had taken all of her money and more when she had run away.

She made a mental note to make a contract with the keys she just recently bought, and she noticed a large group of girls blocking the way to her destination. "Excuse me, excuse me," she repeated as she wrestled her way through the crowd.

She made it to the front of the group after a large dose of dirty looks, and she nearly tripped. She looked up after regaining her balance, and she noticed a black-haired man wearing a cape.

_Why is my heart beating so fast? _she thought, her face heating up as the man caught her eye and winked. _What's gotten into me__? Am I in love?_

* * *

"Why, yes, Lector, I believe he is," Sting replied thoughtfully. He barreled through the crowd, muttering indignantly about how how the crowd should part for the great Sting Eucliffe, and he tripped over someone's foot. He knocked into a white-haired girl and she fell to the ground, and he mumbled his apologies as he brushed himself up.

"Salamander!" he bellowed. "I challenge . . ." his voice trailed off as he caught a glimpse of this so-called Salamander - he may not have done his research, but he knew enough to know that the Salamander of Fairy Tail had pink hair, not black. And he also probably wasn't forty years old and in need of some fashion help. "Who are you?"

"I'm Salamander," the man said, bringing his hand up in a pose.

* * *

Yukino shook her head to clear her mind as the mage knocked her over and she tumbled to the ground.

As "Salamander" raised his hand in an extravagant gesture to accent his introduction, she caught a glimpse of something sparkly on his fingers, and felt her anger flare at the rings on his fingers, one of them engraved with a heart. So that was what was making her "love" him so much!

She saw the mage that made her fall about to issue a challenge, and then she had to hold in her laughter at the stricken look on his face as he realized that this phony wasn't the Salamander he was looking for. She felt her face heat up again, but this time with anger, and she quickly brought it under control.

_I'll need to thank him later, _she thought to herself, _who knows the extent of the power of his rings? If they're banned, they must be dangerous - I might find myself proposing to him!_

She shuddered at the thought.

* * *

Sting hurried away from the impostor, and then he suddenly felt blows raining down on him. "What?" he exclaimed as he found himself wrestling with "Salamander"'s fan club, most of them exclaiming, "How rude!" as they pummeled him.

"Salamander" pretended to graciously stop the fight, saying that the boy surely didn't mean any harm, causing most of the girls to stare at him adoringly and turn their attention away from Sting. Yukino glared at the man for his obvious falseness.

The man pulled a piece of paper out of nowhere and inscribed his signature upon it. He presented it to Sting, "Here's my autograph! Now you can brag to all your friends!"

Sting sweat-dropped. "I'd rather not . . ."

He registered the glare of "Salamander"'s fan club upon his back just before he was sent flying into a wall. Lector ran over to Sting as fast as his short legs would allow him. "Sting-kun, are you okay?"

"Just peachy," Sting groaned in reply.

* * *

Yukino winced at the beating the mage was getting, and that hardened her resolve to thank him. "I'm afraid I must be going, ladies," she heard "Salamander" say, "I've got business to attend to!"

She glared at him, but she had a feeling he couldn't sense it. As he made his grand exit on a purple flow of magic, she heard him invite all the ladies to a party on his ship. Yukino hurried over to the prone figure of the mage and helped him up.

He muttered his thanks and rubbed his temple. Yukino took the time to study his face - finely chiseled profile, a scar above his eye, and spiky yellow hair.

"What's your name?" Yukino asked him.

"Sting Eucliffe," he replied, looking expectant. She nodded, filing the name away, and glanced confusedly at the downfallen expression on his face.

* * *

Sting felt himself helped up by a slender hand, and he quietly murmured his thanks, his head pounding. He rubbed his head to try and clear his mind, and he analyzed the face in front of him.

It was a pretty face, he supposed, delicate and ladylike, with short white hair and a dainty smile. He heard her ask what his name was, and he gave it to her, expecting some sign of recognition to pass over her features. Unfortunately, nothing like that happened, and his face fell.

* * *

"Thank you for back there," she told him.

He smiled dryly. "For what? Knocking you over?"

She laughed. "No, for freeing me from his spell. You see, he was using a type of magic called Charm, which made all females be attracted to him, but it doesn't work once someone becomes aware of it. It's always illegal - he must have went through a lot of trouble to get one."

Sting smirked. "I knew he couldn't attract such a large group of girls on his own."

Yukino laughed once more, feeling freer than she had for days. "If there's anything I can do for you, please tell me! I'd be happy to repay you."

Sting searched his mind for a favor to ask her. "Well, I can't very well ask you to do something for me if I don't know your name," he noted.

Yukino blushed profusely. "Of course - I apologize. I am known as Yukino-" she hesitated, then repeated her name. "Yukino," she said, her tone more certain now.

He raised an eyebrow at her obvious attempt to conceal her last name, but he didn't push it. "Aguria" was a well-known last name, and it has been so long before someone treated her like an equal, not like an Aguria.

"Well," he started, and Yukino leaned in to listen to his request. "I'm planning to buy a strawberry cake for a friend, but I don't have much money . . ."

Yukino immediately understood what he wanted, and she clapped her hands together. "I've got the perfect store!" she cried happily. "I've been here before, as a child."

She grasped his hand and dragged him along, and Sting thought that that must have been a very funny sight indeed. He came to a stop in front of a grand bakery store, and he stood there in awe. But he wasn't allowed to look at its splendor for long, as he was dragged inside without a second thought.

"Strawberry cake, you say?" she asked him as she led him to a table and sat themselves down. "Anything else?"

Sting thought about it and shrugged. "A few strawberries on the top couldn't hurt."

Yukino nodded and called for service at the counter. "I'd like a strawberry cake with fresh fruit and cream on the top, please. And I need it right away."

The lady behind the counter smiled. "Well, lucky for you, I believe our chef just made one this morning!"

She disappeared for a moment, then reappeared with a large box in her arms, and she set it on the table. "Will this do?"

Yukino gestured for Sting to inspect the cake, and Sting reluctantly got up from his seat. He was no connoisseur of cake - that was Erza. But it looked all right to him - better than alright. It was large, with white and pink swirled frosting. There were slices of peaches and strawberries circling the top, as well as dollops of whipped cream. He nodded his approval, trying to look like he knew what he was doing.

Yukino turned to the lady. "We'll take it. How much?" The lady checked the price tag on the box. "Sixty thousand jewels," she replied.

Yukino smiled. "More expensive than the two keys I bought this morning," she murmured under her breath as she fumbled in her purse, drawing out her keys and random bills. She eventually found that she had just enough to pay for the cake.

Sting caught the glint of the keys as Yukino held them in her hand and continued searching for more money, and he decided to ask her about them when they went outside. She held the cake and exited the shop.

"So . . ." said Sting. "You're a Celestial wizard?"

Yukino blushed with pride as she slid the cake into his pack, accidentally slipping her keys in with the cake as she lost focus. "Yes," she told him. "I want to join Sabertooth, and I'm currently collecting keys until I'm deemed strong enough to join."

Sting nodded absently. "Well," he said. "See you around, I guess."

* * *

Yukino opened her latest copy of Sorcerer Magazine as she settled into a bench. She sighed as she opened to a picture of Erza, showing her full body. Apparently, even casual wear included a top of solid armor, a sword, and really tall boots, leaving barely any skin showing. She sighed wistfully.

Erza Scarlet was known as one of the strongest mages in Sabertooth, and she was their poster girl. "I will join Sabertooth someday," she said resolutely to herself. Suddenly, Yukino heard a rustling in a bushes, and "Salamander" emerged. "So," he said. "You wish to join Sabertooth?"

"What are you doing here?" she demanded.

"I want to personally invite you to the party on my yacht tonight," he said, waving his rings in front of his face as if waiting for them to take effect.

Yukino's eyes narrowed, and she pointed her finger at him accusingly. "That won't work on me," she informed him. "That spell's weakness is awareness - it won't work if I know you're using it!"

"As I thought," he said smoothly. "I knew you were a wizard the moment I looked at you - the invitation still stands, of course."

Yukino turned away angrily, crossing her arms. "As if," she muttered. "I wouldn't be caught dead at a party thrown by a creep like you!"

He tried to make some excuse, but she waved them away dismissively. He decided to play his final card. "You wish to join a guild - Sabertooth, I believe."

Yukino stiffened. "What does it matter to you?" she snapped.

"You've heard of Salamander, correct?" he asked.

Yukino snorted very unladylike. "Even if you're him, he's in Fairy Tail, not Sabertooth."

"Ah," he said. "But I have acquaintances in Sabertooth - good friends. Erza Scarlet, Minerva Orlando . . . Jiemma," he placed extra emphasis on the last name.

Yukino's eyes grew wider with each name, and they looked like they were about to burst when he listed the guild master's name.

"If you really wish to join," he continued, "I can put in a good word for you."

Yukino knew how hard it was to be accepted into a popular guild, especially such a strict one such as Sabertooth. "I would be honored to attend your party tonight," she stated coolly, masking the ineffable joy she actually felt. "You really think you could get me into Sabertooth?"

"I don't see why not," he replied.

Yukino felt skeptical, but she shrugged her doubts away. It couldn't hurt to try, even if it didn't work.

"Very well then," he concluded, "so I will see you tonight." He flew away on what he called his "Red Carpet".

Yukino felt rage building up inside her at how he had Charmed her again, but she shrugged her worries away yet again. "So I just have to be nice to him until the end of the party," she mused, thinking of how handy her childhood training would be.

* * *

Sting and Lector stood upon a balcony-like formation. Just then, a group of girls passed by, giggling and laughing. "I'm so sad I couldn't make it to his party," one girl said. Sting tuned out their worthless babble, but one sentence caught his attention. "I heard he's a good friend of Sabertooth's!"

Sting's face darkened with rage. "That poser; friends with Sabertooth?"

Hey," Lector nudged Sting, pointing to a ship, "do you think that's where that Salamander guy's having his party?"

Sting shrugged, then hurriedly turned his face away. "I'm going to hurl just looking at it," he moaned, clutching his stomach and thinking of the early morning's disaster. Lector patted him sympathetically. "Why don't you check Erza's cake? You don't want to get her mad, do you, Sting-kun?"

Sting shook off his motion-sickness at the different topic, and he removed his pack. He carefully slid the box holding the cake out as if it were a fragile piece of art, which it technically was, and something clattered at his feet.

"If that's part of Erza's cake," Sting groaned. "I'm done for."

He knelt down and groped around until his fingers felt something, and then he stood back up with that item clasped in his hand. It felt cool and metallic, and Sting found it was a key ring with five keys on it, three gold and two silver.

"Hmm," he said, weighing them in his hand, "these are Celestial keys. I wonder -"

"Do you think they belonged to that girl who bought you the cake, Sting-kun?" Lector interrupted.

"I think they might," Sting said thoughtfully, and then concluded that it probably was hers.

"Where do you think she is?" Lector asked.

"I don't know," Sting replied, smirking. "But I can find out!" He sniffed the keys experimentally, then took a whiff of the air. He leaped over the railing and kept scenting the air until he caught a matching scent, and he followed it to a large ship.

Sting smiled. "Perfect. I'll get to return the keys, and to make sure he realizes that he's no friend of Sabertooth's."

* * *

Yukino sat primly on the couch, her face only showing a slight bit of her boredom. "So, Yukino, correct?" asked "Salamander". "That's a lovely name."

"Yes, thank you," Yukino replied properly.

"I'd like to toast your beauty," he said, snapping his fingers. Drops of the wine in front of them floated in front of Yukino's face. "Open wide, Yukino, and savor each flavorful drop as they enter your mouth."

Yukino shivered inwardly, then took a few breaths to calm herself and strengthen her resolve. She suddenly stood up and her arm snapped outwards, popping the bubbles. "What do you think you're doing?" she asked, her voice barely containing the rage in her words. "I know what you're up to - you're trying to use Sleep magic!"

"Salamander" laughed sheepishly, his hand coming up to cup his chin, emphasizing his second ring which was the source of his Sleep Magic. "Very impressive, my dear."

"I do really want to join the Sabertooth guild," Yukino said earnestly. "But I'm not going to date you in order to help make my dream come true - I'll work for it."

"You're quite a handful, aren't you?" he asked. Suddenly, leering men emerged from behind him, carrying the unconscious bodies of the female guests of his party.

Yukino gasped. "What's going on here?"

"Salamander" laughed cruelly. "Welcome aboard my ship. You'd be wise to behave yourself until we make it to Bosco." His face darkened. "Don't make me angry."

"We're going to Bosco?" asked Yukino, shocked. She whirled angrily on him. "You said you'd help get me into Sabertooth!"

"Forget that - I just said it so I could lure you here and sell you as slaves," he answered dismissively.

"How could you? You're going to kidnap all of these girls?" she asked, shocked.

The men laughed. "That's our Salamander all right," one of them chuckled evilly. "We gotta big haul this time," another grunted.

"Why, you," she started angrily, reaching for her keys. Her hands met nothing, and her eyes widened.

"What are you going to do about it?" asked "Salamander". "There's nothing you can do, so sit here like a good girl - or I'll have to hurt you."

Yukino trembled with rage, trembled harder than she ever had before. Here she was, going to be torn from her life because of this man. Her gaze fell on the sleeping figures of the girls who didn't know their fate, and only was here under the influence of forbidden magic. A tear trickled down her cheek, and it was quickly followed by another, and another.

"You use magic to take advantage of others," she cried, her hands clenched by her side. "You're the worst wizard alive!"

And then something fell into the ship, cracking through the roof.

* * *

Sting burst through the roof, fueled by his rage. Everyone was stunned at the daring young man who had done it, and some trembled inwardly at the look of pure anger on the youth's face. Yukino smiled through her tears, as she couldn't wipe them away with her hands restrained by "Salamander's" lackeys. "I know you!" she cried.

The ship lurched, and Sting collapsed to the ground, overwhelmed with nausea. Yukino gaped at him, as well as the rest of the crew. "Sting?" she asked tentatively.

Lector was flying in the hole Sting had made. "Yukino?" he asked, surprised. "What are you doing here?"

"He tricked me!" explained Yukino. "He said he was going to get me into Sabertooth!"

"Salamander" and his men stood there, dumbfounded, not noticing Sting slowly get up at the mention of "Salamander" and his supposed ties to Sabertooth.

Lector sniffed rudely. "As if," he snorted. "Besides, you don't need him!"

"And, when did you have wings?" asked Yukino, curious.

"Forever," Lector replied arrogantly. "I'll explain it later, all right? Now just grab on?"

On pure instinct, Yukino reached up and grabbed Lector's tail as he flew past her, and she found herself sailing above the ocean with Lector's tail around her waist. "And Sting-kun wanted me to give this to you," he thrust her keys into her hands, and she thanked him.

"After them!" shouted "Salamander". "They know too much - we mustn't let them report this to the Magic Council!"

"What about Sting?" yelled Yukino above the wind.

"I can't carry two people," Lector muttered, ashamed. "Besides, Sting-kun can take care of himself!"

"Prominence Whip!" she heard him shout behind her, and she saw his rays approaching quickly.

"Incoming!" she cried.

Lector glanced down, and then he dodged and twisted and turned more than he needed to, just to show off. A firework exploded a few yards behind him, and Yukino winced at how near it was.

"Salamander" cursed below them on the ship. "He's faster than he looks."

"That's my Lector," they heard a voice behind them, and turned to see the mage that had crashed through the roof now on his feet.

"What about the other girls?" asked Yukino.

"We've got another problem coming, Yukino," informed Lector.

"What's that?" Yukino said warily.

"My transformation's worn off!"

And then his wings disappeared and Lector and Yukino found themselves plunging into the ocean. Yukino desperately fumbled through her keys, and then held up her gold one and shouted, "Open! Gate of the Paired Fish: Pisces!"

Just before they hit the surface of the water, the dark fish swooped under them and caught them. "Thank you, Pisces," gasped Yukino, still stunned from their fall.

* * *

Sting found himself being kicked by the men after he suffered another round of motion-sickness.

"Forget about him," he heard their leader say. "We're almost to Bosco."

Sting caught a kick on his arm. "I won't let you dirty the Sabertooth guild's name any longer," he panted, noting "Salamander"'s gaze flick toward him. He smiled grimly - this was about to get interesting.

* * *

"Pisces," ordered Yukino once she caught her breath, "please bring the ship back to land."

The two fish nodded obediently and quickly summoned large waves from the ocean. They barreled into the ship and sent it crashing into port. With their duty done, they disappeared back into the Spirit World.

* * *

Crowds were gathering around the wrecked ship, murmuring amongst themselves. "Salamander" was on his knees on the ground outside, holding his head and asking what in the world had caused his ship to land. When the smoke cleared, they saw a lone figure standing on top of the ship - one with spiky yellow hair.

"Sting!" cried Yukino in relief. She paused when she saw the angry expression on his face.

"So you claim to be friends with Sabertooth guild," he muttered darkly, the shadows on his face casting a sinister expression.

"So what's it to you?" asked "Salamander". "Go get him, men!"

"Sir!" yelled the men obediently.

"Let me get a closer look of your face," Sting continued, shrugging off his jacket and throwing it off, seemingly nonchalant about the large group of burly men running at him.

"Be careful, Sting," Yukino begged.

"Sting-kun will beat all of them," Lector replied confidently. "You'll see. He's a wizard, too."

Yukino was surprised, but Sting did have an aura of power around him. With one easy swing of his muscled arm, Sting eliminate the wave of men. "I am Sting Eucliffe, one of Jiemma's most trusted advisors - and I've never seen you before!"

Everyone's gaze landed to the stamp on his arm - a stamp with the symbol of Sabertooth.

"The mark on his arm," one of the men gasped. "He's really a Sabertooth wizard, Bora!"

"Don't call me that," Bora snapped, afraid his cover would be blown.

Lector stood, his arms crossed. "I've heard of him. Bora of Prominence, kicked out of the Titan Nose guild due to bad behavior."

"I have no idea what you're planning, buddy," Sting told him, advancing. "And I don't care if you're a good guy, bad guy, or what - I'm not going to let people think you're one of Sabertooth's allies and dirty Sabertooth's name!"

"What are you going to do about it?" Bora asked cockily. "Stop me? Providence Ty-"

Sting lunged at Bora and punched his mouth before he could finish his spell, and the magic seal faded away. "White Dragon's Roar!" he shouted, and a laser-like ray shot out of his mouth and connected with Bora. The damage was much worse at close range, and Bora skidded several feet, knocked unconscious.

"Now that was too easy," Sting snorted. He walked over to Yukino and grabbed her hand, walking in a direction.

"S-Sting?" asked Yukino. "Where are we going?"

"You said you wanted to join Sabertooth, didn't you?" stated Sting, turning his head around to look at her. "Let's go join Sabertooth!"

Yukino stood there, stunned, waiting until the words registered in her head. When they did, she turned to him. "Really?" she asked.

"Yes," he replied, looking at her weirdly. "Why would you doubt my word?"

Yukino blushed yet again, thinking that she had done an awful lot of blushing today. "Well, you see," she began, "Bora told me-"

"He was a fake, though, remember?" Sting asked. "A true wizard, especially one in Sabertooth, doesn't lie."

Yukino grinned and tackled him in a hug. "Thank you, Sting," she whispered. "Thank you."

And she didn't notice the light blush the spread across his cheeks.

* * *

A/N: So what do you think? You have no idea how long it takes to make one chapter! I have to watch the episode again, and some sentences I kept almost word for word, but I had to alter some things! So, one chapter is one episode, and each chapter will take a _very _long time to update - maybe two to three weeks. Yes, I base these off of the anime, not the manga - mainly because the anime is more censored and my fanfic is rated K+.

And if you have any ideas for OC's to put in Sabertooth, I would be happy to accept them!


	3. Settling In

A/N: I will be sticking with the Fairy Tail episode plots for a bit of time to create a foundation for my fanfic. Some episodes that have nothing to do with Sabertooth will become entirely original, but other than that, it'll be the same plots. And, if I'm too lazy, episodes, or even entire arcs, will be omitted.

I'm making Jiemma a bit, okay a lot, OOC - more lovable, in a way. It's hard to write a story with a jerk as a guild master . . .

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail . . . but a girl can hope!

* * *

Yukino gasped in pleasure at the sight of the majestic Sabertooth guild hall. It was large and formed entirely of amber with streaks of opal to mimic a tiger's vibrant orange and black striped hide. The structure was built to look like a pouncing tiger, so, in order to enter the guild, you had to enter the tiger's mouth. There were large marble "fangs" hanging above the door.

"It's beautiful!" she murmured. Sting looked back. "'Course it is," he said matter-of-factly. "It's Sabertooth's, isn't it?"

Yukino grinned at the implication behind the words. She hung back a little even as Sting disappeared inside the mouth, only to reappear with a perplexed look on his face.

"What are you waiting for?" he asked.

Yukino bit her lip. "I don't know - am I allowed in?"

Sting shrugged indifferently. "I'm sure you'll be fine. Erza looked much worse than you - she was younger too - when she went in, and she got in anyway." He conveniently omitted the part where she defeated him brutally in a fight.

"Oh - okay." Yukino nervously stepped inside and looked around as if she was afraid the entire building would explode.

"Come on!" Sting groaned, exasperated. "Buildings don't bite!" Then he grinned mischievously. "Unless they're shaped like a tiger!"

"Very funny, Sting," Yukino murmured, but she still carefully watched her step.

"Sting!" The two mages heard a deep bellow erupt from within the building. Yukino felt herself start, but Sting bowed his head respectfully. "Master Jiemma," he said.

"Who is this you've brought in?" the master asked.

"S-sir," Yukino stuttered, bowing as she had seen Sting do. "My n-name is Y-Yukino, and I-I wish to join Sabertooth."

"Hmm." Jiemma's gaze lingered on the keys that hung at her waist. "I gather you are a Celestial Spirit mage?"

"Y-yes - sir," she replied.

"No need to call me sir - Master would do," Jiemma remarked. "I need to see a demonstration of your power, if you will."

Yukino picked up on the unspoken invitation, and her fingers instinctively went to her keys - Libra, to be specific. The exotic Spirit was perfect for a show of her power, not enough to give away her trump cards but not too weak either.

"Open: Gate of the Heavenly Scales - Libra!" The golden key shone with an ethereal light and a form began to appear in front of Yukino. Once fully materialized, Libra proved to be a human girl with dark hair wrapped up in an unfamiliar style wearing clothing in shades of green, gold, and white.

She moved the golden scales dangling from her fingers, and most of the guild found themselves pressed against the floor. Sting was in an involuntary crouch, forced down but not entirely. Only Jiemma appeared completely nonchalant about it, but he found himself surveying the guild.

And then Libra switched the scales around again, and this time every object, including innocent mages, not bolted to the ground was pressed up against the ceiling, and Jiemma found himself hovering a millimeter above the ground.

"Hmm," Jiemma mused. "Your powers are not half-bad." He stood up abruptly and walked into his office. "Very well, admission granted. But be sure to try and improve."

Yukino blinked once, not sure if her ears were working correctly - but then a voice yelled down to confirm Jiemma's statement. "Yukino - you got your wish, can you drop us already?" it was a highly annoyed Sting.

"Oh - of course!" Yukino blushed a little and mentally berated herself for forgetting. Libra adjusted her scales again and everything clattered to its original position - then the Celestial Spirit vanished in a flash of light.

"So . . . congratulations," Sting complimented awkwardly. "Let's introduce you and get you your guild mark."

There was a locked drawer that Sting opened with a laser that shot out of his finger. The blond mage removed the stamp and looked questioningly at Yukino.

The white-haired mage blinked. "What?"

"Well, where do you want it?"

"Oh! Um - left side of stomach!" Yukino could barely stop herself from squealing and pinching herself to make sure this wasn't a dream. But the mark was there, as clear as day.

Sting pointed to various people in the guild hall, first being three girls who sat at a table. "We call them the Holy Three - their specialty is Aera magic and they're skilled with the weapon that each of them has. The oldest is Eldora," he gestured to one of them. She had long golden hair in a ponytail that reached her feet and amber eyes, as well as sandals and a strapless dress decorated with yellow blossoms. She had a golden helmet lined with silver that had small white wings protruding from it and a long spear rested beside her.

"She . . . um, seems to like yellow?" Yukino remarked timidly, afraid to offend Sting by saying something bad about one of his guildmates.

Sting chuckled. "All three of them are pretty monochromatic - just with different colors. Eldora's pretty bossy, but, I've gotta admit, handy with that spear. Next is Arianwen - she practically never misses a target with that bow of hers."

The girl who apparently "never misses a target with that bow of hers" had white hair that wasn't tied up or adorned by anything - it just fell down her back like a curtain, and her eyes were large and blue. She was wearing a similar helmet to her sister, except it was silver and edged with gold instead of the other way around. She wore a silver kimono with white bird silhouettes and a white sash, as well as silver sandals. She had a quiver of arrows on her back and a bow in her lap - that were, surprise, white and silver.

"And then there's Keita - the youngest. She gives me the creeps - if I'm teamed up with her on a mission, I'm almost positive she won't hesitate to stab me in the back with one of her knives; or at least sacrifice me to save herself."

Keita had the same porcelain skin as her sisters, perhaps the same face mold, but the resemblance ended there. Her dark eyes held a glimmer of malice in them, and her ebony hair was let down to the middle of her back. She had a black helmet edged in silver with similar white wings, and she wore a completely black outfit that Yukino could tell was made for fighting. Her knives were strapped to a black sash around her waist.

"Wait - you said they were experienced in Aera magic? Doesn't that include wings?" she inquired.

Sting shrugged. "The wings come and go at will - I'm sure you can guess what color each sister has."

Then he nodded to a young man standing, arms folded, on the wall. His black hair was unruly and there were two cowlicks on either side of his head that formed a devil horns. He had an undoubtedly attractive face, but Yukino wasn't sure he was her style. "His name's Diablo - has Devil Takeover magic. He keeps to himself and has that same aura Keita has. They've been going steady for three, almost four, months, but you don't want to get in the middle of one of their lover's spats, trust me."

Yukino spotted another person leaning on a chair with her legs on the table and her arms folded under her head in a casual manner. Her blond hair was styled into a ponytail that separated into two braids, and she wore a pair of blue and black headphones. A sword hung at her waist, and Yukino could tell she knew how to use it. "Who's that?" she asked, pointing.

Sting grunted. "Laki - pretty strong herself, but she has this obsession over some Fairy Tail scum or other. I think his name was Laxus - it's a wonder Master allowed her to stay. I don't know what her magic is called, but it has to do with sound waves and sonic booms."

He then gestured to the rest of the guild's members. "Dobengal - he's a creep and looks like one too, but one of our top ten members. The rest are our top five. Orga Nanagear - employs God Slayer magic. Minerva Orlando - Master's daughter. Erza Scarlet - arguably the strongest woman, or even mage, in Sabertooth. Rufus Lore - The Minstrel Who Sings to the Red Moon. It's a dumb nickname if you ask me. Rogue Cheney - my "twin", if you will. We're known as the Twin Dragons of Sabertooth."

"They don't bite, do they?" was the white-haired mage's first question.

Sting stared at her and laughed. "Don't tell me what I said about the building biting is getting to you?"

Yukino blushed and looked away. Sting sighed. "No, they don't, but I'd advise you to stay away from a few - mainly Minerva. She has a sadistic inside. Orga's okay, if a little exuberant. You'll get along fine with Erza as long as you don't get in the way of her and her cake. Rufus - meh. Rogue opens his mouth maybe ten times a year, and I'd doubt he'd break that record just to bite you."

That managed to draw a giggle from Yukino. It would take some time to get used to being in a guild, but it already felt more like home than her old one would ever feel like.

And, of course, it was an added plus that she would have a certain blond dragon slayer by her side no matter what she did.

* * *

A/N: And there you have it! I went into WAY less detail on the canon characters because you could easily look them up, and I went into more detail on my OC's. Sorry it took so long . . .

I might be a bit slow to update due to lack of encouragement and writer's block (no lack of that), but I'm not complaining!

Or am I?


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